BBB: This election cycle avoid being a candidate for scammers

Tight deadlines and high emotions are key elements used in fraud, and highly charged election campaigns and commercials provide the perfect background to entice people to send money or hand over information, the Better Business Bureau warns.

With Artificial Intelligence, what you see is no longer what you get. The internet is littered with phony videos and deepfakes of famous people and their voices in situations that are totally fabricated, BBB says.

“Another evolving twist includes people getting fake messages saying there is something wrong with their voter registration,” says Steve Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau. “The alarm can easily trick people into taking immediate action clicking links or calling impostor phone numbers which will hand over important personal identity information. This year, elect to vote against fraud.”

While real campaigns ask for money or sell merchandise, do not respond to unsolicited texts, emails, or phone calls with information or cash.

“Be on alert because Your Caller ID may say that someone from Washington, D.C. or from a campaign office is contacting you, but scammers can fake this, using phone number spoofing technology,” Bernas said. “Instead, go directly to your favorite candidate’s website.”

Also be leery of filling out polls without checking the source.

“Often targets get a call from someone claiming to be conducting a political survey,” Bernas said. “The pollster wants to ask you questions about the upcoming election. In exchange for a few minutes of your time and your opinions, you will get a gift card or other reward.”

After asking several legitimate-sounding survey questions, the caller typically then asks you for your credit card number to pay shipping and taxes on the “prize” you've won.

“Legitimate polling companies rarely offer prizes for participating in a survey, and none would ask for a credit card number,” Bernas said.

If you've encountered a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Visit BBB.org or follow us @ChicagoBBB on social media.